Biography
of Ramon Granados Marquez
written by his daughter, Connie Granados
McKnew. 5-17-88
My
father, Ramon Granados y Marquez, emigrated to the United
States, settling in Washington, DC in 1910.
Ramon
Granados was born in Aracena, in the province of Huelva
in Spain, on the 15th of September, 1880. This is near
the city of Palos where Columbus set sail for the New
World. His father was the Governor of the Province of
Huelva.
Ramon
was educated in the schools of Salamanca and Sevilla,
obtaining his Masters Degree from the University of
Sevilla.
In
1900, he was selected by the Spanish government to teach
Spanish grammar in Cuba. in Cuba, he met General Leonard
Wood, who was Commissioner of the United States. he
was instrumental in Professor Granados' coming to this
country, where there was a need for Spanish teachers.
In Washington, he taught at the Berlitz School. In 1913,
he established the Spanish School of Washington which
he managed until the time of his death in 1937. Many
Military and State Department personnel attended his
school. Professor Granados also taught at Georgetown
University and St. John's College high School.
Professor
Granados found a home on k Street, NW, near the State
Department and the White House, and sent for his wife
and four children who were still in Seville.
I
remember our maid taking me to Thomson School kindergarten
and my brother to Franklin School. We could not speak
a word of English, but we soon learned. On weekends,
we were taken to Keith's Theater or to the movie to
see Charlie Chaplin. On Easter Monday, we went to the
White House to roll our Easter Eggs. We also were taken
to Glen Echo Amusement Park. My father told us that
on new Year's Day, President William Howard Taft stood
in front of the White House and shook hands with the
people until his hand bled.
In
1913, the family moved to Prince George's County, Maryland.
We were educated in Prince George's County and DC Public
Schools.
Professor
Granados married Concepcion Rey Capdevila in 1903, who
died in 1930. A large family resulted from this marriage,
six girls and four boys.
Professor
Granados was naturalized a citizen of the United States
in the District of Columbia Supreme Court in 1917, along
with his wife and seven children. Three children had
not been born at the time.
My
father died in his office in 1937. There are 220 direct
descendants*. Many still live in the Metropolitan Area
of Washington, holding jobs of importance. Most of the
others are scattered over the Eastern portion of the
United States.
*
NOTE: This biography was written in 1988. Descendants
now number over 400.
When
he was three, Ramon was sent to boarding school, coming
home for Christmas and for four or five days in the
summer. He attended various schools, becoming a prankster.
While
at a military academy in Toledo, he and other boys replaced
the holy water with nitrate of silver just before a
big church affair, creating a black mark on people's
foreheads, and upsetting the entire town.
When
in a Salesian boys school, he smeared excrement on the
outside door handle of his dormitory, and held a candle
to the inside until it got red hot. One of the boys
let out a loud groan, and when the brother came to see
what was going on, he grabbed the handle. He got sent
home for that. He wasn't allowed to read Jules Verne
stories, although they were carried as a serial (folletin)
in the Spanish newspapers, so he got someone to wrap
them around a rock and throw them over the wall to him.
He studied at the University of Seville and Salamanca,
obtaining his Masters Degree from the University of
Seville.
He
fell in love with Maria Concepcion Rey-Capdevila, daughter
of Antonio Rey and Concepcion Capdevila.
After
the Spanish-American War, the U.S. stipulated that Spain
supply Cuba with Professors of Spanish certified by
the Royal Academia, until such time as Cuba could train
its own professors. Ramon was selected by the Spanish
government to teach Spanish grammar in Cuba. He went
alone to Vinales, Pinar del Rio, Cuba..
After
Ramon left, Concepcion's father Antonio died and left
the family penniless. Rosario Granados, Ramon's mother,
suggested that if the young couple planned to get marred,
they should do so now. Concepcion's mother agreed, and
on January 20, 1903, Ramon and Maria Concepcion married
by proxy and she traveled alone to Cuba. Her brother,
Viriato, stood in for Ramon in a civil ceremony in Seville,
and immediately upon her arrival in Cuba, a second marriage
ceremony took place before a priest on February 10,
1903.
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Information
for this biography taken from the written recordings
(February 1992) of Katherine Collins Granados, wife
of Ramon Granados, II - aka "Aunt Kitty" in
the booklet "Granados Y Rey".
Biography
and Timeline
written by Katherine Collins Granados, wife
of Ramon Granados Jr. - Feb. 1992
Ramon
was educated in schools in Seville and Salamanca, Spain.
He received an A.B. degree from the University of Seville.
His
father was Gobernador of the Province of Huelva. The
Granados family had a palace in Seville that was sold
to a large department store. The palace was torn down
and a large department store built on the site. It is
in the downtown shopping area of Seville.
Central
America was in upheaval in 1898 as the following information,
gleaned from a World Almanac, will show. I believe it
will be helpful to future generations, in order to place
the family in the time slot of World History.
CENTRAL
AMERICA 1898
A
Confederation, the Greater Republic of Central America
is proposed but fails after El Salvador opposes it.
Battleship
Maine is blown up in harbor, Havana Cuba.
Cuba
declared independent by Congressional Resolution.
Spain
and U.S. declare War.
Spanish
forces defeated at Guantanamo Bay, El Caney and San
Juan Hill in Cuba.
U.
S. Fleet destroys Spanish Fleet off Santiago, Cuba.
Santiago surrenders to U.S.
U.S.
Forces capture Puerto Rico and Guam.
Treaty
ending War signed - Spain gives up claim to Cuba, cedes
Puerto Rico, Guam and Philippines to U.S.
U.S.
annexes Hawaii.
First
Food and Drug Act passed because of public outcry against
the meat supplied for U.S. troops fighting in the Spanish-American
War.
It
was found that a chronological record of Mr. Granados'
life would be the best way to cover all aspects of a
most varied career. Papers mentioned in this article
are in the hands of Luis Granados, 1 as of this date,
September 2, 1991. Antonio Granados, youngest son, has
copies of these papers.
On
February 1, 1896 there is a paper reporting, "Taxes
due for Spanish people living in Foreign Lands".
At this time, we have no explanation of this paper.
The
United States declared War on Spain, April 24 1898,
ending, in Cuba, with the surrender of Santiago de Cuba,
on July 17, 1898; although the Treaty signifying the
end of the War was not ratified until April 11, 1899.
Allan Keller, author of "The Spanish-American War:
A Compact History", states that "...Spain
had always looked upon overseas colonies as a source
of revenue, not as areas for social change or constitutional
betterment for mankind."
Therefore,
it is not surprising when General Leonard Wood was appointed
Military Governor of Cuba, that Secretary of War, Elihu
Root worked closely with him to establish a sound governmental
system. The plan included building schools, educating
the Cubans, establishing a sanitation system and improving
conditions generally. General Wood was a Surgeon, served
in the Army and had been personal physician to President
McKinley and his family before joining Theodore Roosevelt
and his Rough Riders. Ramon Granados told me that he
had studied to be a Doctor of Medicine and had gone
to Cuba in that capacity, conducting autopsies, during
the Spanish-American War.
Luis
and Connie [1st generation], state that General Leonard
Wood was instrumental in bringing Ramon Granados to
the U.S. It has also been said that by going to Cuba,
he avoided serving in the military. At this time, there
is no information as to when and how Ramon Granados
met either General Wood or Elihu Root. We do know that
Ramon taught Cubans from 1901 until 1906. There is a
document, releasing Ramon from the Draft, dated January
7, 1900, "nineteen years old and a student".
Ramon
evidently went to Cuba in 1901, or possibly earlier.
There is a Certificate of Performance (Teaching), dated
February 25, 26, 1901. A Certificate dated August1,
1901 states that he had taught for eight months. Another
Certificate of Performance is dated Jun 11, 12, 1902.
He attended a Conference at Vinales, Pinar del Rio,
Cuba, July 14 - August 9, 1902, signed on August 12,
1902, Cuba.
On
January 20, 1903, Maria Concepcion Rey Capdevila was
married by proxy to Ramon Granados Marquez in a Civil
Ceremony at Sevilla, Spain. Her brother, Viriato Rey
Capdevila was the proxy for Ramon. [Presumably, this
marriage by proxy was done so that Maria Concepcion
could travel unaccompanied to Cuba to be with Ramon
so they could be properly married. At the time, unmarried
women could not travel abroad without an escort.].
Maria
Concepcion sailed from Cadiz, Spain for Cuba. On February
10, 1903, a ceremony was held before a priest in Cuba.
Ramon
received a Certificate of Performance (Teaching), in
June, 1903. On August 15, 1903, he received a Certificate
to Teach Arithmetic.
On
April 11, 1904, their first child, a son, Luis Granados
was born at 1:00 AM in Vinales, Pinar del Rio, Cuba.
Another
Certificate of Performance (Teaching) was received in
June, 1904. On August 20, 1904, Ramon received a Certificate
to Teach.
In
1905, presumably late summer, Maria Concepcion and Luis
returned to Spain. There were uprisings in Cuba at this
time. Most likely the trip was made to insure their
safety. Besides, Maria Concepcion was pregnant with
their second child.
On
January 14, 1906, Concepcion, the first daughter born
to Ramon and Maria Concepcion was born in Sevilla, Spain.
On Jun 14, 1906, Ramon receives approval for a vacation
in Spain. At this writing, we do not have the exact
date of his return to Spain. By March of 1907 he had
returned to Spain from Cuba - having registered for
the Draft in Sevilla - being granted an exemption.
On
January 11, 1908, their third child, Rosario was born
in Sevilla, Spain. We have no information as to what
transpired during this time in Spain.
On
September 1, 1909, a fourth child, the third daughter,
Clara was born in Sevilla, Spain. there is a document
to the effect that Ramon was a Candidate for Office
in Sevilla, Spain, with no further information.
On
July 30, 1910, Ramon left Cadiz, Spain for New York
on the S. S. Montevideo, arriving on August 10, 1910.
He gives his occupation as Salesman and gives the Salesian
Fathers, 421 East Twelfth Street, New York City as his
destination. He states that he had been in the U.S.
previously, stating "yes", in transit. He
had $30 according to the ship's Manifest. Also, from
the Manifest, we learn the address of the family home
in Sevilla, Spain as 2 Corinto Street.
In
a letter of application, written at a later date, Ramon
states that he opened the Spanish School of Washington
in 1911. There is a Power of Attorney, dated March 8,
1911 for Concepcion and her brother, Viriato to sign
for Ramon Granados, whose age is given as 30 years.
On
June 30, 1911, Concepcion, with Luis, Connie, Rosario
and Clara leave Cadiz, Spain on the S. S. Manuel Clavo,
arriving in New York on July 11, 1911. The ship's Manifest
gives the ages as follows:
Rey
Capdevila, Concepcion - 28 yrs.
Granados
Rey, Luis - 7 yrs.
Granados
Rey, Concepcion - 5 yrs.
Granados
Rey, Rosario - 3 yrs.
Granados
Rey, Clara - 2 yrs.
Concepcion's
nearest relative in Spain is given as her mother, Concepcion
Capdevila, 17 Imagen Street, Sevilla, Spain. Final destination
is given as 816 - 14th St., NW, Washington, DC. She
lists $10 in her possession. Luis says their father
had a house ready for them. They found there were rats
in the house and his mother refused to stay there. They
moved to 14th and K Sts., NW. At this time, this was
still a rather elegant neighborhood. According to the
family, this house had a carriage house in the rear,
with living quarters over the carriage area. Luis said
these living quarters were rented out, which paid for
the rent on the house they lived in. Rosario and Connie
tell of riding on the dumbwaiter in the home.
Luis
remembers the burial of victims of the Titanic disaster,
the ship that hit an iceberg and sank, killing most
of the passengers, on April 14 - 15, 1912.
Ramon
II was born at Columbia Hospital, Washington, DC on
April 18, 1912. He was the first child born in the US.
he was the fifth child and the second son.
On
August 11, 1912, Ramon Sr., received a Normal School
Certificate from Havana, Cuba.
In
January 1913, Ramon Sr. became a Charter Member of the
Spanish-American Union of Washington, DC. Connie and
Rosario remember an Inaugural Parade and saw President
Taft. This was the Wilson Inaugural Parade on March
4, 1913 with the outgoing President Taft traveling to
the Capitol with the new President for the "Swearing-in-Ceremony".
Ramon
Jr.'s health was not good and the Doctor advised that
they move to the country where there was good fresh
air. Connie says the family moved to Mount Rainier,
Maryland in 1913. in the 1913 Polk's City Directory,
the Spanish School of Washington is listed at 1010 -
15th St. NW.
On
February 6, 1914, Maria was born in Mount Rainier, MD.
She was the sixth child and the fourth daughter. The
1914 Polk's Directory lists Ramon Granados as a linguist,
Spanish School of Washington at 1010 - 15th St., NW.
On December 8, 1914, he received a Certificate of Nationality
from the Spanish Legation, listing the home address
as 303 - 15th St. NW.
On
August 31, 1915, Dolores was born in Mount Rainier,
MD. She was the seventh child and the fifth daughter.
The 1915 Polk's Directory lists the home address as
Mt. Rainier, MD with Ramon Granados, Director, Spanish
School of Washington.
The
1916 Polk's Directory gives the residence as Mount Rainier,
MD with Ramon Granados, Director of the Spanish School
of Washington at 1423 G Street, NW Washington.
Angelina
was born on January 11, 1917 (not verified) and died
February 7, 1917. She was buried on February 8, 1917
(sixteen days old) in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Bladensburg
Road, NE, Washington DC, Section 49, Site 298. She was
the eight child and the sixth daughter.
Luis
states that during World War I, Ramon Sr. put up maps
of Europe in various Washington Hotels, among them the
Willard, Old Shoreham and Washington. He obtained information
by cable from New York each day regarding the latest
action on the War Front. He would then go to each hotel
and move pins to designate the latest advance of the
armies. He was paid for this service by the hotels.
We believe this took place prior to the U.S. entry into
the War.
Polk's
Directory gives the residence as Mt. Rainier, MD and
the Spanish School of Washington at 1423 G St., NW.
On August 6, 1917, the Ramon and wife Concepcion along
with Luis, Connie, Rosario and Clara became Naturalized
Citizens of the US, appearing before the U.S. Supreme
Court, Document Number 798847. Ramon Sr., served in
U.S. Naval Intelligence during World War I. World War
I dates are April 6, 1917, when War was declared, and
November 11, 1918 when Armistice was signed.
On
April 7, 1918, Juan was born in Riverdale, MD. He was
the ninth child, the eighth living, and third son. Polk's
Directory for 1918 gives the residence as mt. Rainier,
MD., and lists Ramon Granados as the Director of the
Spanish School of Washington. The family members say
that their father went to Brazil, and he saw the ships
in New York Harbor that had been hit by German submarines.
There is a may 14, 1918 stamp on Ramon's passport. In
the State Department files, there is a telegram from
Barranquilla, Columbia, in which Ramon Granados is mentioned.
There
is no listing in Polk's Directory for 1919. There is
a possibility that Ramon was out of the country for
part of this year. It is believed that this is the period
that Ramon worked as captain of the Bellhops at the
Washington Hotel and Luis worked as a Page. Also, the
family moved to 407 First Street, Riverdale, MD either
in 1918 or 1919. Ramon Jr. remembered the move from
Mt. Rainier to Riverdale. He was pulled in a wagon by
one of his sisters.
On
July 6, 1920, Mercedes Granados was born in Riverdale,
MD, the tenth child, ninth living, and the seventh daughter.
Ramon Jr., told of a time as a young boy, when his father
was away for a long time and money was scarce. Ramon
worked on the Frederick Farm, up Riverdale Road. He
was given a dollar for his work and was sent home with
the money pinned to his overalls with a safety pin.
Milk and vegetables were given him to take home.
There
is no listing in the Polk's City Directory for 1921.
Ramon Granados evidently returned home in the Fall of
1921.
On
August 20, 1922, Antonio Granados was born in Riverdale,
MD, the eleventh child, the tenth living, and the fourth
son. The 1922 Polk's City Directory gives Riverdale,
MD as their residence and lists Ramon Granados as Director,
Spanish School of Washington. There is a Passport Stamp,
dated May 3, 1922.
Unless
some member of the family has something to add, we have
no information for the years 1923 through 1925.
There
is a Passport Stamp, dated May 6, 1926 and a Certificate
of Vaccination, New York, S.S. Niagara. The Spanish
School of Washington was located at 1317 F Street, NW
in July of 1926.
In
November, 1926, the Spanish School of Washington was
located at 1338 H street, NW.
On
June 23, 1930, Ramon's wife, Maria Rey Capdevila died.
She is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Bladensburg
Road, NE Washington, DC, Section 58, Site Number 494.
In
1931 King Alfonso XIII of Spain was deposed and the
Second Republic established. This was a troubling period
for Ramon, because he was keenly interested in the political
problems in Spain.
On
June 21, 1937, Ramon Granados died in his office in
Washington, DC. He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery,
Bladensburg Road, NE, Washington, DC, section 58, Site
Number 494. Clara was in the hospital having given birth
to her daughter Barbara Koch. Charlie Koch (Clara's
husband) had lunch with Ramon that day and found him
in good spirits. His death was a great shock to all
the family.
1.
Luis Granados died in August of 1992. All family papers
in his possession were passed on to Luis Granados II
(aka Sonny).
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Memories
of Ramon Granados, Sr.
written by Katherine Collins Granados,
wife of Ramon Granados Jr.
Excerpted from "Granados Y Rey - A Compilation
of Information"
March 19, 1992 I met Ray Granados, Jr., in a Gulf Gas
Station on Bladensburg Road, NE, Washington DC. The
station was at the southwest corner of either Morse
or Neal Street. he worked there along with Lawrence
Sadtler. Ralph Day would stop in there, also. Lawrence,
Ralph and I attended Eastern High School at the same
time.
At
this time, New York Avenue, NE was being extended from
Florida Ave. NE to Bladensburg Road. In order to extend
it father, McQueeney's home and gas station would have
to go. It would take quite a few years before this would
happen. The company doing the work on New York Avenue
was a Georgia Company. They brought their own work crews
from Georgia. Many of them roomed at McQueeney's home.
I went to school with Regina McQueeney and we had become
close friends, visiting them quite often. During these
visits I met the roomers. I dated on of the fellows.
We would usually go out with a group. they had use of
a company car and a company credit card with Gulf Oil
Company. I met Ray through these fellows. I got my driving
experience with these fellows. I had driven with my
father, but he was a poor instructor; he had no patience
with me. I got my driver's permit and Dad finally bought
a second car. I was not allowed to buy it in my name,
although I made the payments. I bought gas at the Gulf
Station which the Georgia fellows used, which led to
Ray asking me for a date.
We
dated for a year or more. The Depression was on. Jobs
were scarce. After Ray left gulf Oil Co., he worked
for the Jewel Tea Company, selling from door to door.
When they cut back, he found work cleaning the railroad
overpass on Rt. 1 in Hyattsville. If I remember correctly,
it had just been completed. This work was sponsored
by one of the "New Deal" Agencies, offering
work to the unemployed. This was during the Roosevelt
Administration before World War II. Through another
of the "New Deal" programs, Ray went to work
for the Gulf Oil Company again. He first worked at the
station on Rt.1 at Queensbury Road. Later he was transferred
to the station at Rhode Island Avenue and Monroe St.,
NE, Washington, DC.
My
parents were not happy about our dating. I think they
still believed in the behind the times idea that the
oldest daughter should take care of her parents (like
my Aunt Katie did for my father's parents). Ray and
I decided it was a "now or never" situation.
My family was becoming more and more dependent on my
salary, so a break had to be made. I took my savings
and paid off all my mother's bills. She didn't learn
anything from this, because after we married, she sent
Biddy to my office to have me sign papers so that she
could cash my Life Insurance Policy.
Ray
and I purchased bedroom furniture and had it delivered
to Clara and Charlie's home on Roanoke Road in Riverdale
Heights. They had rented us a bedroom. We were married
on Saturday evening, September 16, 1933 at Holy Name
Church, 11th and k Streets, NE, Washington, DC. We went
to a movie afterwards. I don't even remember the name
of the movie. It was the Fox Capitol on F Street, NW,
if my memory serves me right.
We
lived with Clara and Charlie for at least a year. After
Aunt Helen's husband, Louis Mittelstetter, died, she
asked us to come live with her. We stayed at Aunt Helen's
for about a year when Mom and Dad asked us to come there,
since Dad was out of work at the time. We lived with
them until we bought the house in Riverdale Heights
in 1936.
The
Granados' home in Riverdale was a large, Victorian Style
home, with a porch across the front and extending around
the side. 407 Fist Street, Riverdale, was south of Riverdale
Road, and the last cross street before Edmonston Road
(now Kenilworth Avenue). The house was on the west side
of the street. There was an entrance hall on the left
side of the house as you entered, with the stairway
to the second floor. To the right was the living room.
To the rear was the dining room with a bay window. The
kitchen adjoined the dining room, at the back of the
entrance hall. The kitchen was large, the gathering
place for all.
After
we moved to Riverdale Heights, Mr. Granados became a
frequent visitor. He had many interests. He kept rabbits
which he raised and sold. He had a garden of many flowers,
as well as his vegetable garden. They had chickens as
well. My husband tells of Luis' boys setting the chicken
house on fire. They had been smoking in the chicken
house.
Mr.
Granados would be very popular with today's organic
gardeners. He was very much into "organic"
gardening. Ramon Jr. has told of having to stir the
barrel of "fertilizing material". He also
grew grapes.
In
"Portrait of Spain" by Tad Azule, he states,
"Aging wine in skins is another vanishing art because
it is no longer economical. It is, however said to survive
in the mountain village of Polop, in the Mediterranean
Province of Alicante, where a whole ham is placed inside
a wineskin full of young red wine. The wine, the goes,
is allowed to "eat" the ham during the two
or three years fermentation, an aging process, thus
acquiring a special raw taste prized the villagers."
This story reminded me of the wine that Ray's father
made. I remember his telling about putting ham in the
wine he made. I can see now why he did.
When
we were in Spain, we were reminded of so many things
that Mr. Granados did. As we drove through Huelva Province,
where Aracena is located, we saw the yuccas with the
white, bell-like flowers growing in profusion. He had
many of these plants in his garden in Riverdale and
gave me some when we moved to Riverdale Heights. In
this area, we also saw many espaliered fruit trees.
We can understand why he was so interested in agriculture.,
since this is a region where a variety of things are
grown, although the mountainous terrain certainly makes
farming difficult.
The
house in Riverdale had a well that was shared with the
next door neighbors, the Harlison's. This caused much
dissension, the neighbor claiming the Granados' used
too much water. The house had running water, but it
consisted of a large tank in the attic. The tank was
filled by hand-pumping water to it. This was not the
most favorite chore for the children.
Coal
had to be brought up from the basement for the kitchen
range. Ramon Jr. hated this chore, not liking to go
down to the dark basement.
Mr.
Granados did a lot of the cooking during the I knew
him. He made a bean soup of garbanzos. It was a meal-in-one.
Some of his concoctions were better than others.
Ray's
home was a gathering place for friends. Ralph Day would
stop in for a visit with the "old man". Mr.
Granados enjoyed his company. They had many a heated
discussion on topics of the day. Besides, there was
always the glass of red wine. The evenings always ended
with the demitasse cup of coffee.
The
Saturday night "500" card games were good
fun. There were many friendly arguments over the rules.
A copy of the rules for "500" was obtained
and Charlie had copies printed for each of us. Thereafter,,
the copy was brought out to decide the argument.
The
first New Year's Eve Party I ever attended was at the
Granados home. The year was either 1931 or '32. Rose
supplied the alcohol, 100% pure, obtained from the dentist
she worked for. "Gin" pills were added to
the alcohol to make Gin for the drinks. This party was
before the repeal of Prohibition. Johnnie served the
drinks. He made sure no one's glass was empty. There
was a splendid array of food. I can't remember all the
foods served, but I do remember the fried rabbit. It
tasted lid fried chicken. It was the first time I had
tasted rabbit. It was delicious. Each one was given
a rabbit's foot for "Good Luck". I still have
mine. It is close to sixty years old! This was my first
experience with hard liquor. I had wine to drink many
times, but never the hard stuff. I did not know how
lethal that stuff was. Johnnie kept filling my glass
and I kept on drinking it. My next memory of the evening,
is waking up on Ray's bed. I had a hard time living
that down.
After
Ray and I were married, the Saturday crab feasts during
the summer were great fun. Beano or Tony were sent on
their bikes to collect fifty cents from those wishing
to participate. Ray usually took his father to the wharf
in Southwest Washington. In those years the crab boats
from Southern Maryland and Virginia came to DC to sell
crabs and fish right off the boat. The live crabs were
purchased for $10 a bushel, sometimes less. The crabs
were brought home and steamed. The table and chairs
were set up in the kitchen and everyone found a place.
The children were given the claws to eat because they
didn't pay. One must remember that this was still "depression"
time and no one had much money to spend. These gatherings
were so much fun. My own family have these gathering
to eat crabs and they are still loads of fun.
Ray
tells of walking to St. Jerome's church for Sunday Mass.
Their mother would question them as to the color of
the vestments the priest wore. If they had the color
wrong, she knew they had not been to Mass. He also told
of the expectancy and excitement when his father returned
from his tours to Spain. Also, containers of chestnuts
were sent from the Granados farms in Spain.
Mrs.
Granados had died before I met Ray. She had been dead
for several years. Ray had great affection for his mother,
but he had no particular stories to tell about her.
Connie remembers her grandfather in Spain, her mother's
father. Connie evidently spent a lot of time with him
when they were living in Seville. Her grandfather said
his family came from Sanlucar de Barrameda. The family
used to spend their summers there at the seaside.
When
Ray worked for Holmes Bakery, he would be quite late
getting home on Saturday nights. Saturday was settlement
day, so as many outstanding accounts as possible were
collected in order to settle up and receive their pay.
Also, the route was in Virginia, so it was a long trip
back to the Bakery and then home. Ray's father would
walk up to our house to listen to the news from Spain
on our short wave radio. Mr. Granados was a firm believer
in Spain's Franco. He followed the Civil War in Spain
very closely. At the time, may argued with him on his
belief in Franco. Time has proven him correct in his
faith. He was good company and helped pass the tedious
hours waiting for Ray to come home.
I
took Spanish in one of Mr. Granados' classes, after
my day's work at the Franklin School at 13th and K Sts.,
NW. The Spanish School of Washington was just down the
street and across to H Street. Mr. Granados and I would
ride home together on the street car and bus to Riverdale.
We shared a book of monthly tickets. Somehow, half of
the book took care of each of our fares to and from
work for the month. Sometimes the ticket was all that
I had in my purse. Times were lean.
The
Lurba brothers, Ramon and Jimmie, were good friends
of Ramon Granados. We understand they met on board ship
bound for the US. The Lurbas had a delicatessen on upper
14th Street, NW, which the Spanish people of Washington
patronized. At Mr. Granados' suggestion, they added
tables so food could be served in the shop. Later, when
the Old hippodrome movie closed on E Street, NW, the
Lurbas opened the Pomona Restaurant there. Later they
expanded, opening the Ceres next door, and the Earl
Restaurant in the Earl building which also housed the
Earl Movie Theater. Jimmie Lurba knows my son, Ramon
and they have kept the family acquaintance. Johnnie
has also kept the friendship with the Lurbas, since
he had worked for them for many years.
Luis
says his father translated a book on rules for the game
of Jai Alai. The original book was written in Spanish.
The game has become popular in Florida, but there were
no rules written in English. Luis assisted his father
with the translation. The book is supposedly still in
print. Luis also says that his father taught at the
Berlitz School. he said there were some arrangements
made for him to teach there before he came to the US.
In
talking with Luis Granados this summer, we asked what
connection his father had with the Salesian Fathers,
since their name and address were listed as his destination
in New York City on the Manifest of the S. S. Montevideo,
the ship that brought him to the US. Luis said that
the Salesian Fathers served the Holy Trinity Church
in Seville which Luis had attended while living there.
Ramon Granados attended schools taught by the Salesian
fathers. The Saint, Don Bosco, was a Salesian Father
and Luis attended their school in Seville as a young
boy, the same on his father had attended.
I
enjoyed Mr. Granados' company. He was an interesting
conversationalist. It was a great shock when he died.
I don't remember how we heard of his death. Luis and
Ramon went to DC to take care of arrangements. Mr. Granados
had been taken to George Washington Hospital which,
at that time, was just a few doors from his office on
H Street, NW. Johnnie and Tony came to live with us.
It was the end of an era.
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